Monster Within
by The Silent Wanderer
Summary: Kaoru, Yahiko, and Sanosuke go to a carnival... what they find inside a cage is no ordinary animal


The Silent Wanderer here! I thought I should post this and see how people like it. Now this is my third story I've posted but all of my stories that I have posted are from the same day. So it's like my first in a sense. Please review and give good criticism! Thanks!  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own the Rurouni Kenshin series, so please don't sue me, this is just for fun.!_! However, I do own all of my original characters! HEHE  
  
Rated PG though there is a strong tendency toward violence! So Beware! OK on with the show.er.fic.  
  
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It gazed at them from under the mesh of soiled and layered clothing. Yahiko, Kaoru and Sanosuke looked at the monster in shadow. The large, bloodshot eyes only left them to scrutinize as others passed in fright, but the mad eyes would always return to stare at them. Some of the people stopped to watch, but left soon after, troubled by the monster hidden behind the bars.  
  
Yahiko peered over at Kaoru. He was still mad at her for teasing him that morning, but he was more infuriated at himself for not evening the score. Yahiko looked from Kaoru's nervous face to the hidden beast within, a devious smile appearing on his face. He walked up to her and pretended to trip, falling into her, and pushing her into the steal bars that contained the monster. Kaoru's already fearful nerves broke as she slammed into the bars, but stopped herself before she cried out in fear. She was not one to easily be frightened, but that creature on the other side of the bars was more then her courage could take. The creature turned its gaze solely onto Kaoru, but in an instant the monster twisted its body to glare at Yahiko, growling a low warning sound deep in its throat, its eyes shrinking down to slits.  
  
Sanosuke roughly placed his large hand onto Yahiko's head.  
  
"It looks as if you made a friend, Yahiko," a wicked smirk danced on Sanosuke's lips. Yahiko brushed off Sanosuke's callused hand sharply, but before he could retort at Sanosuke, Kaoru got to Yahiko before he could react, and was under her foot before he new what happened.  
  
"Was that supposed to be funny Yahiko? And is that any way to treat your assistant master? How would you like it if I put you in there with that thing, hmm?" She huffed, grounding her foot into him.  
  
"Ahhhhh, can't you take a joke," Yahiko tried to evade the ball of her foot to no avail. Kaoru let him go but only after she had grounded her foot into him a bit more. When Yahiko finally was able to stand up, he dusted himself off with his hands. He peered up from his shirt to see the monster had moved up to the tarnished bars, its eyes staring straight at him. For a split second he thought he had seen humor in those bewildering eyes. He backed up a step into Sanosuke who was also focused on the monster, his eyes wide with astonishment.  
  
"I...didn't hear it move and was only looking away for a moment. Did you see that thing move?" Sanosuke asked as he glanced over at Kaoru. Her eyes had grown large with surprise.  
  
"No, I didn't. I looked away to glare at Yahiko, but something made me turn back, and there it was," Her eye's filled with confusion. The creature stood deathly still in its crouching position. It almost appeared more human then monster at this close distance. Its dirt-congealed hair was pulled over the rest of the face except for its sharp white teeth and its large almond, bloodshot eyes. Filth covered its skin where the layering of clothing didn't conceal it from view. A sour smell drifted to their noses, making them think of urine and feces.  
  
"Back you filthy bitch! Back I say!" Suddenly a cat'o-nine-tails whipped across the bars to slash at the creature. The creature reeled back screeching in anger. The man that held the cat'o-nine-tails was dressed in black and blue breeches and a white-laced shirt. The style was that of English performer's clothes. The whip had nine strips of long knotted leather, it whined beneath the hands of the performer. He snapped the gruesome looking whip in his hand as the creature backed up smoothly into the corner of the cage. The thing in the corner did not make any more sounds or movements even in pain. Shock crossed Kaoru's face at the man's cruelty.  
  
"Was that really necessary?" Kaoru looked at the creature in shadow, some of her fear being replaced with anger. She looked at the man in performer's clothes, wanting to get an answer from him.  
  
"Do not be fooled Ms. that she-beast could ripe your head off in a split second, its not worth any of your sympathies," the man said in a horrible tone.  
  
"That thing's a woman?" Yahiko squinted into the shadows to try and see more clearly, and then glanced back to the performer.  
  
"I wouldn't say that she is all human. She's most likely part of an animal from the Indian forests were we found her. She's a she devil that one, ruled by her monstrous side," a malicious shadow crossed the face of the performer as he looked at the monster. He turned back to the three, pulling up the hem from his trousers, "See this scar... she tried to rip my leg off once for trying to clean her cage. Now I am rewarded with this limp, it reminds me that she is not to be pitied," The three of them saw a deep gash on his leg. The animal woman growled in her corner. Yahiko glanced into the cage to try and see the creature better. Before the beast lowered her head, Yahiko saw the dangerous look in the eyes of the creature, but their had been something else their in the depths of her eyes. Almost like fear. Maybe the beast-woman had a reason for the way it had acted, thought Yahiko.  
  
"Still, that is no way to treat any person. I can see why the monster did that to you, the way you treat it," Yahiko said turning from the bars to look at the performer. "You should see how it feels to be whipped by that ugly thing," Yahiko looked at the whip as he stepped forward in anger.  
  
"You little brat, how dare you say that to me, that creature is a wild animal and can only be controlled by force!" The man stepped forward in disgust griping the cat'o-nine-tails, but before he could do anything the she-beast rushed in a flash up to the bars grabbing Yahiko and throwing him as if he weighed nothing across the room into Sanosuke. The cat'o-nine- tails slapped into the bars again skipping across the she-devil's skin. "How dare you animal, that is the last mistake you will ever make," the performer said harshly, inwardly grinning with glee, "Now do you believe me, that she is a wild uncontrollable beast. You should leave now, this beast will be dealt with for attacking you," speaking loudly at first then trailing off with the last words he spoke, focusing on the satisfaction he was going to get from pain that the caged animal was going to receive.  
  
Hikaru looked out from her cage into the eyes of the boy Yahiko and saw the hurt that was there. He hadn't seen the danger he had been about to get into. Phileep was a foolish human when he had the cat'o-nine-tails in his hands, but he was very skilled with it. The others with the boy hadn't seen the switch in Phileep's hand position. He had been ready to whip the boy. They didn't know that Phileep was crazy when it came to his pride and he had meant to strike the boy with the whip, not her. Even though she had saved the boy from the whip, now they all looked at her as if she were the devil. It didn't really matter what they thought of her, they could think what ever they pleased. No, she knew that there would be a bigger price to pay for saving the boy without thinking. Hikaru watched as the three angry and surprised individuals exited the small tent, which was placed for the circus attraction. They were forced to leave as the circus ended its daily routing. 


End file.
